1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector to be used for mutually connecting electrical parts mounted on an automobile or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automobile, the operation of many parts of the car, such as the operation of lamps, a car audio equipment, an angular adjustment and forward and backward positional adjustment of a reclining seat, automatic locking of doors, etc. is carried out by power supply from a battery. A connector is used for carrying out a power distribution to these parts, and a technology for a batch line connection is being developed in order to efficiently achieve these multipolar connections. A batch connection is for connecting a plurality of sub-connectors, such as male sub-connectors, for example, with the other sub-connectors, such as a female sub-connector, by holding the male sub-connectors in a holding member.
A plurality of terminal accommodation chambers are formed in each of the male sub-connectors and a plurality of female terminal metal members are provided in each of the plurality of terminal accommodation chambers. Further, in the female sub-connector, a plurality of male terminal metal members are provided to engage with the plurality of female terminal metal members.
A cover wall is provided at the side of the terminal accommodation chambers of the male sub-connectors which are engaged with the female sub-connector. The cover wall is provided with a plurality of terminal receiving portions having through-holes through which the male terminal metal members of the female sub-connectors are connected with the female terminal metal members of the male sub-connector. In the through-holes, a plurality of terminal guiding surfaces are formed so that the male terminal metal members can be easily engaged with the female terminal metal members through the through-holes of the cover wall.
In the above-described structure, at first the male sub-connectors are engaged with the holding member, and then the holding member is engaged with the female sub-connector for engaging the male sub-connectors with the female sub-connector, and then the female terminal metal members are connected with the male terminal metal members.
According to the above-described structure, however, not only an engagement clearance between the male sub-connectors and the holding member exists but also an engagement clearance between the holding member and the female sub-connector exists. Accordingly, at the time of piercing the male terminal metal members through the through-holes, the piercing operation is influenced by the two clearances, with a result that there arises a positional deviation between the positions of the front ends of the male terminal metal members and the positions of the terminal receiving portions formed in the through-holes.
When the holding member is combined with the female sub-connector in this state, the male terminal metal members are not engaged with the terminal receiving portions but the male terminal metal members are struck against the cover wall of the male sub-connectors, with a result that the male terminal metal members are deformed by this strike. Therefore, the male terminal metal members can not enter the terminal accommodation chambers, which causes a conduction failure.